The wind energy industry is set to play a pivotal role in South Africa's transition to a sustainable energy future, with 1.3 gigawatts of wind projects currently under construction.
Speaking at the Windaba 2024 conference, Niveshen Govender, CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA), emphasized the industry's significance in the country's energy landscape. “Our industry has achieved remarkable milestones, contributing to over 3.5 gigawatts of installed capacity.
To date, the wind industry has 1.3 gigawatts of wind projects currently in construction. We have a pipeline of 53 gigawatts of wind projects under development in the country,” he stated.
Govender highlighted the importance of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill (ERA), which aims to unbundle Eskom and implement regulatory reforms.
He noted that these developments are crucial for creating a more resilient and sustainable energy mix. However, he acknowledged ongoing challenges, such as grid constraints and the need for structural reforms, indicating that further intervention is required to unlock the full potential of renewable energy.
Electricity Minister Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the keynote speaker at the conference, announced plans to revise the transmission development plan, which initially aimed to construct 14,000 kilometers of infrastructure over a decade. “Brazil, India, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico have gone this route, and we're seeing that they've been able to roll out a significant amount of kilometers over the period 1998 to 2015—over 100,000 kilometers of new transmission, so it has been done,” he explained. He emphasized the importance of learning from the experiences of other countries with similar development challenges to create a tailored approach for South Africa.
The minister reaffirmed that wind energy is integral to the country's integrated resource plan, which outlines the energy sources necessary to meet growing demand. He mentioned that the public consultation on the plan yielded 4,000 submissions, with 250 being considered for their substantive contributions. Ramokgopa reiterated South Africa's commitment to meeting its energy demands while also preparing to support neighboring countries like Zambia in their energy needs during this transition from traditional energy sources to renewable solutions.
